Procurement Act 2023
Prospective suppliers should be aware that the Procurement Act 2023 is coming into force on 24 February 2025. Central government has produced some useful Knowledge Drops on what these changes mean for you, including bite size YouTube videos. Read official guidance about the Public Procurement changes on GOV.UK.
Procurement Act 2023: Information and guidance for Suppliers
As you may be aware public procurement is changing on Monday 24th February 2025. These rules shape how public procurement bodies buy goods and services.
The Procurement Act 2023 will introduce measures to improve and streamline the way procurement is done and benefit prospective suppliers of all sizes, particularly small businesses, start-ups and social enterprises.
If your business supplies goods, works or services to organisations in the public or utility sectors – or hopes to do so in the future – you need to know about the changes. This includes supplying to government Departments, the NHS, local authorities, universities, schools, social housing organisations, police and fire brigades and utility companies.
Key benefits for suppliers include more standardisation and streamlining of procurement processes - but there are also additional benefits in the Act such as requiring better oversight of procurement decisions and strengthening payment terms.
The Cabinet Office has been providing webinars for suppliers but if you have not been able to attend these, there are recordings of the sessions on the link below.
Information and guidance for suppliers - GOV.UK
These recordings focus on the key changes for suppliers and feature a live demonstration of the central digital platform. It is to make it easier to find and bid for contracts with a central digital platform, which will be an enhancement to the existing Find a Tender Service.
A webinar for suppliers and other interested parties: How to get ready for 24 February 2025
There are further videos to help you understand and navigate the platform, including how to register, upload organisational information and search and bid for opportunities.
Suppliers: How to register your organisation and first administrator on Find a Tender in three easy steps.
A guide for suppliers: How to register an organisation and the first administrator in 3 easy steps
Suppliers: Detailed walkthrough – how an administrator completes updates supplier information.
A guide for suppliers: Detailed walkthrough How an administrator completes and updates supplier info
Buyers and suppliers: How to use the central digital platform (enhanced Find a Tender service) a short guide for everyone.
A guide for everyone: An overview of the central digital platform, an enhanced Find a Tender service
Each of the videos is supported by a user manual.
Guidance and support
If you are a supplier, there are dedicated guidance products to help you prepare and to support you as you begin to do business under the new regime. A short guide for suppliers (PDF, 360KB) on the main elements of the Procurement Act 2023; a factsheet explaining how the Central Digital Platform (PDF, 4.8MB) will work and dedicated Supplier Knowledge Drops videos giving you an overview of the key changes with versions for SMEs and VCSEs. We have also published Supplementary Guidance (PDF, 629KB) to explain how we are defining Small and Medium-Sized Enterprises and you can view our Public sector buyers’ training manual - to see the detailed training all procurement practitioners are undertaking.
When the council buys goods, services or carries out works of any kind, we have to ensure that the contracts we award are procured fairly and transparently. The council follows a set of internal rules called the Contract Procedure Rules [within part four of the Constitution] for any procurement that it carries out. The Contract Procedure Rules form part of the council's Constitution. These rules set out how the council must carry out procurements, such as seeking quotes from suppliers for low value contracts or inviting tenders for higher value contracts, and include how contract opportunities must be advertised and how contracts are awarded as follows:
| Contract value (all values are inclusive of VAT) | Procurement requirement |
|---|---|
| Below £12,000 | Competitive quotes are not required, although a written quote will be obtained. |
| £12,000 to £119,999 | Contracts of this value will be procured by the Council obtaining quotations from at least three alternative suppliers and only the lowest quotation received will be acceptable except where this requirement is waived in accordance with the Contract Procedure Rules. |
| Between £120,000 and the relevant threshold | Contracts of this value will be procured through a tendering process and consideration shall be given to the requirements of Part 4 of the Public Contracts Regulations 2015. As part of the tendering process the Council will publish an Invitation to Tender which will set out that Council's evaluation criteria and may (where proportionate and relevant to the subject matter of the procurement) include suitability questions to assess whether minimum standards of suitability, capability, legal status and/or financial standing are met. |
| Above relevant threshold | Contracts with a value over the relevant threshold are more tightly regulated by UK law, enacted in England through the Public Contract Regulations 2015 and must be procured pursuant to this law. |
There are some exceptions to this, for example if another public authority has appropriately procured a contract on our behalf (please see working with other authorities)
Becoming a supplier
To work with the council you must register on our e-tendering system, Supplying the South West (sometimes known as ProContract). This is where all of the council's tender opportunities are advertised.
Registering is free. Your details will be entered into a central database, which can be accessed by all of the local authorities in the South West that use the system. This not only gives you sight of current tender opportunities but also allows those authorities to find suppliers when they want to undertake lower value quotation processes that do not involve the need to advertise. They may also contact you for market research or to speak with you directly before advertising a tender opportunity.
Council's standard conditions of contract
With a few exceptions, including IT contracts or contracts which have been procured on behalf of the council (see working with other authorities), where the council enters into a contract for goods or services of a value beneath the relevant threshold then the council's standard terms and conditions shall apply to that contract to the exclusion of any supplier terms and conditions.
- Terms and conditions for goods and services
- Standard Conditions of Contract for Works
- Professional Services Terms
Contact information
Procurement Team
Legal Services
North Devon Council
PO Box 379
Barnstaple
Devon
EX32 2GR
Telephone: 01271 388285
For Typetalk: precede with 18001
Email: supplyingndc@northdevon.gov.uk
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